Actually Honest Advice

What a week. Tom’s distracted. Apps for Apple TV 4K that offered lossless Atmos & Dolby Vision FEL suffered setbacks, especially Rivulet. 2027 97″ OLED will get the best panels. Big changes at DC Studios. And Allen takes us through Tablo vs. ZapperBox.

Pictures shown in this episode: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjDb9ny

00:00:00 – Intro

Yes, we mention the election results in the USA. We keep it light. Tom also explains why he’s a bit distracted throughout this episode.

00:09:26 – AHA Movie Club

We’ll be discussing Buddy (2026) at the end of November.

00:10:09 – Tom’s Headphones

He’s still rocking a pair of Oppo PM-2.

00:11:14 – What We Watched

Rob watched The Rivals of Amziah King.

00:25:00 – Listeners of the Week

Our Listeners of the Week are Anthony for his PayPal donation, plus our 116 Patreon Patrons, including Scott, as well as Adam for whipping up a little AHA HT animation. Stay tuned to the very end to see that!

Thanks also to Brad for giving permission to use his photos on https://avgadgets.com/

And we appreciate the notes of gratitude from: Jonathan, Brad, Karl, Jorge, and Scott. Thank you to everyone for continuing to listen!

00:28:20 – News: Lossless Atmos Setbacks

Via Nathan and confinoj – Native Player and Rivulet aimed to provide lossless Atmos and Dolby Vision Profile 7 FEL support on Apple TV 4K, as we talked about last week. But AVS Forum members discovered performance issues. And Rivulet had a major setback.

– About Native Player: https://tinyurl.com/5y9z8uu4

– Rivulet: https://gurleystudios.com/rivulet

00:30:31 – News: 97″ Tandem OLEDs

Next year’s LG G7 and W7 97-inch OLED TVs will finally use the best OLED panels: https://tinyurl.com/55ts2yu9

00:32:18 – News: New DC Studios Chief at Skydance

James Gunn and Peter Safran are stepping down as the co-CEOs of DC Studios. Now that Skydance owns Warner Bros, they are installing Jeremy Latcham as the head of DC Studios: https://tinyurl.com/mpp83v4p

00:39:34 – Comment: Dazz – Boom Mics & Atmos

Following on from some of the things we’ve said in recent What We Watched segments, Dazz weighs in on film grain, dialogue sounding like it’s ADR, and sound engineers still getting used to object-based audio.

00:44:02 – Feature: Tablo vs. ZapperBox

Allen extensively compared Tablo vs. ZapperBox for how well they perform as OTA DVRs. We read out his whole write-up, including his thoughts on ATSC 3.0.

– https://www.tablotv.com/

– https://zapperbox.com/

– https://zapperbox.com/blogs/blog/roadmap-to-a-real-gateway

01:03:48 – Jonathan: Time to Replace the Lamp?

He’s questioning his own perception. Should he buy equipment to test if his projector’s lamp has actually dimmed? Or just go ahead and replace the lamp a bit earlier than usual?

01:08:12 – Brad: Corner Speaker Wall-Mount

He wants to wall-mount some ELAC Debut 2.0 OW4.2 speakers at an angle in the corners of his room. But he left behind their original wall-mount hardware. We discuss what he can do. And also how to easily secure speaker wires.

– Acoustimac Corner Z-Clips: https://tinyurl.com/3hckkdjv

– QuakeHOLD Putty: https://tinyurl.com/yc26wzkj

01:17:41 – Jorge: Thanksgiving & Agatha

Will there be a Thanksgiving podcast crossover this year? And did Tom watch Agatha All Along before starting VisionQuest?

01:21:32 – Scott: Water Damage Replacements

We both sympathize with having to deal with water damage! No fun. We discuss Center speaker options, whether to mount Front Heights, and which subwoofers he should get.

– https://avgadgets.com/can-i-use-my-soundbar-as-a-center-channel/

– RSL SpeedWoofer 10S MKII: https://tinyurl.com/y3p3pc2s

01:40:42 – Lior: Still Y-Split Subs?

Now that he can ideally position dual subs, does the “old” advice of feeding them a mono signal still hold true? Or have more recent developments, like Dirac Live Bass Control, rendered the old method obsolete?

01:47:15 – Mohsen: Time to Stop Tweaking?

We dig into why he might have a legitimate reason to adjust his projector’s settings on a movie-by-movie basis, how we would simplify that, and what it might take to settle and just be happy with his image and sound quality.

Thanks for listening. Now, don't forget to:

The post AHA HT #005: Our Own Minions appeared first on Actually Honest Advice.

Our condolences to the friends and families of Patrick Stewart, Walter Koenig, and Eric Bauza. Everyone who loves Star Trek will miss all of them dearly.

Our 1st AHA Movie Club episode was posted last week. And an entirely new AHA Podcast is in the works!

111-inch OLED TVs are coming, along with expected price drops for 97-inch OLEDs…but not for a few years yet. And a pair of apps – Native Player, and Rivulet – can handle lossless immersive audio and Dolby Vision Profile 7 on the Apple TV 4K.

Pictures shown in this episode: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjDan8b

00:00:00 – Intro

Rest in peace, Patrick Stewart, Walter Koenig, and Eric Bauza.

00:08:08 – Our 1st AHA Movie Club Episode

If you’d like, you can hear our discussion of “The Last House”: https://youtu.be/n6dUOSM1XGU ; https://actuallyhonestadvice.com/2026/10/31/aha-mc-001-the-last-house/

And find out which movie we’ll be discussing at the end of November!

00:12:58 – Personal Updates

Happy Halloween!

00:19:12 – What We Watched

Rob watched The End of Oak Street. Tom watched VisionQuest Ep.3

00:39:31 – Listeners of the Week

Our Listeners of the Week are Brandon and Dazz for their combined PayPal donation, plus our 115 Patreon Patrons.

We also appreciate the notes of gratitude from: Dazz, David, and Kevin. Thank you to everyone for continuing to listen!

00:42:31 – News: 25-Hours of Home Theater  & NEW AHA Cycling Podcast

Tom, Rob, Lee, and Joe all appeared on DJ’s Bright Side Home Theater 25 Hours of Home Theater Live Stream: https://www.youtube.com/live/MHewwwrqrZk

Tom and DJ decided they’ll start a new AHA Cycling Podcast in the near future!

00:52:04 – News: Cheaper 97″ & NEW 111″ OLED TVs Coming

LG Display and Guangkai Holdings are investing about $150 million to update and expand their joint OLED panel factory so it can manufacture larger OLED motherglass: https://tinyurl.com/yc79snzk

00:55:46 – News: Native Player and Rivulet on Apple TV 4K

Two different Player Apps bring lossless immersive audio and Dolby Vision Profile 7 support to Apple TV 4K, since Apple didn’t do it themselves.

– Native Player: https://tinyurl.com/5y9z8uu4

– Rivulet: https://tinyurl.com/mup9f936

01:01:14 – Comment: Matt – Monitor Audio Radius

Another suggestion for capable speakers that are under 8-inches tall: https://tinyurl.com/mps8repc

01:03:20 – Infinite Gary: Listening Experiences, Subwoofer Worth It?

We discuss the unexpected subjective experiences Gary has had since removing a malfunctioning subwoofer from a 2.1-channel setup. Will adding a new replacement sub provide a consistent improvement?

01:11:48 – Tony: Apple TV Upgrade Justified?

Despite the $300 price tag, does it make sense to finally upgrade from an Apple TV HD?

01:16:44 – David: TCL 98QM8L Settings

What should his Picture Settings be, and what should plug into what now that he has a 98-inch TCL, but is still using an older AV Receiver? Also, which wall-mount should he get?

– Perlegear Heavy Duty Mount: https://tinyurl.com/5ev8bssf

01:30:55 – Dazz: Living Room AVR

Brandon graciously gave Dazz some more Ascend CBM-170SE speakers. What should he get to power them in his Living Room? Should he jump straight to 13 speakers in his theater?

– Wiim Amp: https://tinyurl.com/393uts39

– Yamaha RX-V4A from A4L: https://tinyurl.com/y2fmryeb

– Denon X6800H: https://tinyurl.com/2tv6wrh7

– Denon A1H: https://tinyurl.com/yhm9jwvu

01:43:48 – Commiserating with Kevin

Not really a question. We just go through Kevin’s email as he describes the changes he has made to his theater, and having discovered that maybe his tastes have changed, and he wants something different now vs. what he used to envision for his home theater.

Thanks for listening. Now, don't forget to:

The post AHA HT #004: Pure Honest Podcast appeared first on Actually Honest Advice.

Welcome to Actually Honest Advice Movie Club! It’s our 1st episode. We’re kind of winging it. Full Spoilers! Let’s discuss “The Last House”.

00:00:00 – Intro

00:01:53 – Contact Info

00:03:09 – Listeners of the Month

00:04:32 – The Last House – Preamble

00:06:18 – Our Immediate Take

00:06:34 – No Spoiler Description

00:11:28 – Our Approach to Watching Movies

00:12:57 – The Official Summary

00:13:55 – WARNING: Full Spoilers Begin!

00:35:16 – What We Would Change

00:52:24 – Fred’s Email

01:06:13 – Next Month’s Movie!

Find out which movie we will be discussing next month for the 2nd episode of AHA Movie Club!

Thanks for listening. Now, don't forget to:

The post AHA MC #001: The Last House appeared first on Actually Honest Advice.

Warning! Rob vents about some local politics right at the top, so skip ahead if you hate hearing that stuff. In happier news, watch for the 1st AHA Movie Club episode later this week!

83-inch QD-OLED TVs are probably coming next year. And Sony appears to have discontinued the last of their Ultra HD Blu-ray player models, so it’s a good thing a slew of Chinese brands have started selling UHD BD Players now.

Pictures shown in this episode: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjD8Dsy

00:00:00 – Intro

Warning! Politics are discussed.

00:06:07 – Tom’s Updates

A big family vacation is coming up.

00:08:32 – What We Watched

Tom didn’t watch anything (besides our AHA Movie Club movie!), but he’s still reading Dungeon Crawler Carl. Rob watched Ready or Not 2: Here I Come.

00:23:55 – AHA Movie Club

We watched The Last House for our first Actually Honest Advice Movie Club (AHA MC) episode that we’ll post later this week. A full spoiler discussion.

00:25:04 – Contact Info

00:27:00 – Listeners of the Week

Our Listeners of the Week are Jonathan for his PayPal donation, plus our 118 Patreon Patrons, including Nathan, as well as Aaron for sending a Canadian movie code for Rob to test.

We also appreciate the notes of gratitude from: Nelson, Brandon, Aaron, Stan, and Nathan. Thank you to everyone for continuing to listen!

00:30:29 – News: Why AV Rant was in Podcast Archives

Apple Podcasts had AV Rant titled and listed as “Podcast Archives – AV Rant”. We couldn’t figure out why for years. But Tom finally found the answer!

00:35:31 – News: 83″ QD-OLED TVs in 2027?

HDTV Test spotted Samsung Display’s submission to UL Solutions, providing strong evidence that Quantum Dot OLED TVs at the 83-inch size will be coming next year: https://youtu.be/Vj-Qazc-W8w

00:38:03 – News: No More Sony Ultra HD Blu-ray Players

Sony Japan has discontinued the UBP-X700: https://tinyurl.com/384astew

00:39:51 – Comment: Ilango – Bought a 3rd NVidia Shield Pro

The price is high now, but they’re only going to go up, and stock is low, so he pounced.

00:41:29 – CORRECTION: confinoj – CoreELEC on Ugoos Players

Rob used the incorrect term of “side-loading” when describing how to use CoreELEC on Ugoos boxes for optimum local media playback. It’s actually a dual-boot situation.

00:45:53 – Nelson: 2Hour+ Club?

Very important. Does the AV Rant 2Hour+ Club carry over?

00:50:47 – Brandon: Small Speakers & Apple TV 4K Audio

We reiterate our picks for Passive speakers under 10″ tall to use with a WiiM Amp, and add self-powered speaker recommendations. Should subs be plugged directly into the wall? Are the KEF R8 Meta worth $900 more than the KEF Q8 Meta? And solving a very unintuitive Apple TV 4K audio problem.

– RSL CG3M: https://tinyurl.com/4vmc57y6

– Kanto YU Passive 4: https://tinyurl.com/42664zcb

– Kanto Yu4 Passive: https://tinyurl.com/maa2xtb7

– SVS Prime Satellites: https://tinyurl.com/y8w53t9e

– WiiM Amp: https://tinyurl.com/393uts39

– Kanto Yu4 Gen 2: https://tinyurl.com/bdzxs9x5

– ELAC Debut ConneX DCB41 (Top Pick!): https://tinyurl.com/5xumuedw

– KEF LSX II LT: https://tinyurl.com/3468ysmn

01:20:01 – Stan: SVS vs. PerListen Subs

By the specs alone, some of the SVS subs have virtually identical output as some of the PerListen subs. But the PerListen subs cost more. Are they worth it?

01:30:35 – Manuel: HDMI-CEC Power

His Apple TV 4K used to power on his AVR and TV automatically, but then it stopped. We discuss how to get it working again.

01:36:40 – Nathan: 77″ OLED or 100″ LCD?

Given his room size, we have strong feelings.

Thanks for listening. Now, don't forget to:

The post AHA HT #003: Apple TV 4K Audio Fixes appeared first on Actually Honest Advice.

What’s with the old intro & outro music? Growing pains. Apple has a new, expensive Apple TV 4K. And Joe Klusnick makes his first AHA HT appearance to share his slideshow from his in-person visit to Value Electronics.

Pictures shown in this episode: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjD8iWw

00:00:00 – Intro

Where’s that new, placeholder music Rob mentioned?

00:03:41 – Stay Tuned After the Questions!

Joe Klusnick visited Value Electronics in New York in person, and he makes his first AHA HT appearance to share the photos he took.

– contact Joe on AVS Forum: https://www.avsforum.com/members/jskmdwk.7537874/

00:05:14 – Personal Updates

A busy week for Rob. Not too much to be said by Tom.

00:13:52 – AHA Movie Club!

We’re going to watch “The Last House”, which is available on Netflix. And next week, we’ll record a full spoiler discussion. Join us!

– Too Many Cooks: https://youtu.be/QrGrOK8oZG8

00:16:44 – What We Watched

Rob watched Coyote vs. Acme. Tom watched the first two episodes of VisionQuest.

00:30:25 – Contact Info

Our new email is: Question at ActuallyHonestAdvice dot com

Our new YouTube is: https://www.youtube.com/@ActuallyHonestAdvice

00:31:38 – Listeners of the Week

Our Listeners of the Week are Dan for his PayPal donation, plus our 117 Patreon Patrons, as well as Csaba for sending some AHA HT logo artwork for us to consider.

We also appreciate the notes of gratitude from: Rob S, Infinite Gary, Michael, Ilango, and Fred. Thank you to everyone for continuing to listen!

00:40:02 – News: Apple TV 4K 4th Gen

It’s new. It’s barely any different. It’s much more expensive: https://tinyurl.com/mrxhs37m

00:47:30 – Dazz: Apple TV 4K Discussion

Some troubleshooting of HDMI-CEC, and figuring out if it’s worth running out to buy either a 3rd Gen or a 4th Gen model.

00:59:45 – Infinite Gary: Extras, Atmos & Sub

If a disc has Bonus Features but Kaleidescape doesn’t, does that sway our purchase? Atmos isn’t just about overhead sounds, is it? Will an SVS SB-1000 Pro satisfy him as a replacement for his Rythmik F12-400?

01:12:07 – Michael: Wired USB-C In-Ears

He wants in-line controls, Hi-Res Audio support, and a wired USB-C connection, all at a low price in Canada.

– https://avgadgets.com/a-wired-headphone-solution-for-most-new-phones-soundmagic-e80d-usb-c-wired-headphones-review/

– JBL Tune 310C: https://tinyurl.com/ytp428yw

– JVC HA-FR29UC: https://tinyurl.com/59suds5m

01:17:12 – Rob S: New Dual Subs

We read between the lines, and suggest a pair of RSL subs.

– RSL SpeedWoofer 10S MKII: https://tinyurl.com/39sr25v8

– RSL SpeedWoofer 12S: https://tinyurl.com/6jws7dvs

01:20:44 – Ilango: Pay $300 for an NVidia Shield?

Stock is low, and the price went way up. Is there a good Shield alternative?

– Ugoos AM9 Pro: https://tinyurl.com/7fwmrk4x

– Ugoos AM6B Plus: https://tinyurl.com/2epzyy6j

01:24:05 – John: Is Atmos Height Virtualization Automatic?

For AV Receivers that have Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization, how do you activate it?

01:27:10 – Mohsen: Monitor Audio vs. Klipsch Speakers

He has a surprising experience comparing the same song playing on the Monitor Audio speakers in his Living Room vs. the Klipsch speakers playing in his Home Theater. We discuss.

01:44:35 – Welcome Joe to AHA HT!

Some big personal news for Joe. And it’s his first appearance on AHA HT!

01:46:13 – What Joe Watched

Joe went out to the theater to see Digger, and he watched In the Grey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day in his Home Theater.

– contact Joe on AVS Forum: https://www.avsforum.com/members/jskmdwk.7537874/

01:49:45 – Community AV Group Gettogether

Joe is an admin for the Greater Sacramento Community AV Group, and he had a gettogether at his place!

– https://communityav.com/

– https://www.facebook.com/groups/communityavgreatersacramentocalifornia/

01:53:17 – Value Electronics Slideshow

Joe was in New York, and he visited Value Electronics in person.

– https://valueelectronics.com/

– https://valueelectronics.com/tv-projector-and-headphone-shootout-evaluation-events/

02:20:12 – Wrapping Up

Thanks for listening. Now, don't forget to:

The post AHA HT #002: Joe at Value Electronics appeared first on Actually Honest Advice.

Welcome to the 1st Actually Honest Advice Home Theater Podcast episode! Pardon our dust. It’s a bumpy start. And farewell to AV Rant. It’s AHA HT from here on out.

NVidia Shield TV Pro gets a $100 price hike, despite being over 7 years old. HDTV Test crowned their picks for the Best OLED and Best TV Overall for 2026. And we introduce our Monthly Movie segment.

Pictures shown in this episode: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjD7vNm

00:00:00 – Intro

Introducing Actually Honest Advice Home Theater! AHA HT.

Pardon our dust. We are beyond open to critiques, suggestions, and help!

And we have our new website: https://actuallyhonestadvice.com/

And our new YouTube address: https://www.youtube.com/@ActuallyHonestAdvice

00:07:08 – New Monthly Movie Segment

We’re going to try some new things, and see how they go.

One new idea is basically a “book club” but for movies. We’ll pick a movie ahead of time, everybody can watch it, and then at the end of the month, we’ll chat about it.

For the end of October (we’ll record on the 27th), the Monthly Movie is: “The Last House”. It’s available on Netflix.

00:13:01 – Contact Info

We have new email addresses, too!

Question at ActuallyHonestAdvice dot com

Tom at ActuallyHonestAdvice dot com

Rob at ActuallyHonestAdvice dot com

00:17:32 – What We Watched

Tom watched the first 2 Seasons of Overlord. Rob watched Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.

00:34:26 – Listeners of the Week

Our Listeners of the Week are our 116 Patreon Patrons over at: https://www.patreon.com/actuallyhonestadvice

We also appreciate the notes of gratitude from: Aaron, Gurinder, Infinite Gary, Dev, and Karl. Thank you to everyone for listening!

00:37:11 – News: NVidia Shield TV Pro Price Hike

It’s been available for over 7 years, but the NVidia Shield TV Pro got a big price increase, and the tube-shaped Shield TV has been discontinued: https://tinyurl.com/4zpkx76z

00:39:21 – News: HDTV Test Crowns Best TV of 2026

After crowning the Sony Bravia 9 II as the Best LCD, HDTV Test went on to crown the Best OLED, and Best TV Overall: https://tinyurl.com/mpps8ab9

00:46:21 – Gurinder & The Polyester Pimp: AV Rant #1000?

Wait. We’re not pulling a prank? There really, truly, is no AV Rant Episode #1000?

00:47:55 – Infinite Gary: Anthem in Canada

We reiterate a few more details about Actually Honest Advice, and how AHA HT remains focused on Home Theater and AV. Then we discuss some of the history of Anthem in Canada.

00:57:27 – Karl: Grimani Systems Center Point Reflectance

Is the waveguide-loaded tweeter that genuinely reflects frequencies above 1 kHz off of your display THE solution for very large flat panels?

01:13:39 – Henry: Home Theater Epiphany

Could simplifying, and no longer worrying about upgrades be the secret to actually just relaxing and enjoying some movies?

01:24:55 – Jay: A Speaker Hurt Me!

Tom hit his head on a cabinet. Rob pulled a muscle sneezing. But Jay thinks he had an even sillier injury.

01:27:10 – Anonymous: Audioholics’ Copyright Nightmare

We comment on the lawsuit filed against Audioholics, and point to Rick Beato & LegalEagle’s copyright fight, as well.

– Audioholics Video: https://youtu.be/IFJp09emqmc

– Rick Beato Video: https://youtu.be/M8HxQkk0PSY

01:34:44 – Dev: New Living Room Gear

We go over some suggestions for a new AV Receiver, Atmos Height Virtualization, a new TV stand, and bigger speakers!

– Denon X3900H Refurb at A4L: https://tinyurl.com/39euh5v3

– X3800H New for the same price: https://tinyurl.com/yb7sp3zc

– Whalen 3-in-1 TV Stands: https://tinyurl.com/4dzueyvx

– PerleSmith Universal TV Stands: https://tinyurl.com/y4z2tzps

– https://us.kef.com/collections/r-series

01:49:14 – Mike: Which KEFs to Get?

We piece together some clues and make an educated guess about which specific KEF R-Series speaker models will work best in Mike’s setup.

01:53:55 – Brandon: Short Bookshelf Speakers

Vertical space is limited, and for some reason that we do not fully understand, laying speakers horizontally is not allowed. So we have some “short” speaker suggestions.

– RSL CG3M: https://tinyurl.com/4vmc57y6

– Ascend HTM-200SE: https://tinyurl.com/yfpsamrs

– SVS Prime Satellite: https://tinyurl.com/y8w53t9e

– KEF Q1 Meta: https://tinyurl.com/3aexbja2

– KEF LS50 Meta: https://tinyurl.com/32szh5fw

– Kanto YU Passive 4: https://tinyurl.com/42664zcb

Thanks for listening. Now, don't forget to:

The post AHA HT #001: Soft Launch appeared first on Actually Honest Advice.

We’re Actually Honest Advice. Your podcasts for honest advice. And we’re starting with Home Theater!

AHA HT

Tom and Rob certainly aren’t new to podcasting. We recorded over 1,000 episodes of a show called AV Rant. But after well over a decade, we decided to freshen things up a bit!

When we first decided to make the change, we thought it would happen fairly quickly. Boy, were we wrong! But we recorded this quick introduction episode to walk you through our thought processes and the reasons why we decided to make this big change.

For now, these episodes will show up both here and in the old AV Rant feed. If you have Home Theater questions, submit them to Question at ActuallyHonestAdvice dot com. We’ll answer your questions, honestly.

Thanks for listening. Now, don't forget to:

The post AHA HT #000: Thus it Begins appeared first on Actually Honest Advice.

What is the AHA or Actually Honest Advice? The thought process was easy. Tom and Rob have been giving their honest advice about home theater on the AV Rant podcast for years. Advice that was based on the latest science and research. Advice that changed as the data changed. Tom and Rob have never been afraid to admit that they’ve gotten something wrong and to quickly issue a correction. While others are trying to tailor their advice so that you’ll buy their products or sponsorships, Tom and Rob change their recommendations based on your actual needs and circumstances.

Thus the change from a very specifically focused podcast (AV Rant) to more global and encompassing podcasts (Actually Honest Advice). Under the AHA banner you’ll find a lot of episodes dealing with home theater. That’s what Tom and Rob love to do, and that won’t ever stop. But you might find episodes focusing on their other pursuits, interests, and expertise. Have a question for Tom and Rob and want some Actually Honest Advice? Send in your question today!

The post Welcome to Actually Honest! appeared first on Actually Honest Advice.